Nostalgic snowy/winter day meals.

[GiddyRobin]

So, as it's snowing where I am, and I knew it was coming...I've made a giant pan of lentil soup. This was what we always had as kids when it snowed or got really wintery.

Also colcannon, veggie cottage pie, or a meatless hot pot. I remember smelling them all cooking when I'd walk up the garden path as a child, kitchen windows fogged.

I also love just big thick pieces of toast with loads of butter and a hot cup of Yorkshire tea. Preferably mid afternoon or late evening when it's cold, the fire is warm, and you just want to warm up from inside.

What's your go-to as soon as the weather goes super cold? Even better - when it's snowy? An extra point if you've a favourite activity! Mine is wrapping up with a book or a boardgame once I'm suitably warm.

If you hate winter, please don't have a bun fight. It's light hearted and nice!

Cheese on toast with black pepper and Yorkshire tea

My mum used to feed us this but I never knew other people had it too!!! Ours had cauliflower instead of pasta though

Ooohhh yes. Sometimes if we were being fancy we'd get it with little slices of chili on top. And salad cream to dip! The tea would slice right through the cheesiness and wash it all down.

Sorry, why does the snow mean you're required to make soup? I don't get it

Homemade mince and onion pie, mashed potatoes, peas and gravy (plus ketchup!). My DH usually insists on a shop-bought strudel with Carnation evaporated milk for dessert.

Then settle down to a Hugh Grant or Jude Law film with my DD17 - they're both such amazing actors and have done so many good films.

I always enjoy having the slow cooker on in the winter, I just don't use it in the summer, but in winter I love the smell of a stew when I get back home from wherever I've been. And it's wonderful to just be able to spoon a bowlful out knowing it's ready, without having to start cooking!

Made ginger/garlic/chilli squash soup gor lunch with H.

Mostly prepped a soya mince cottage pie for us and teens later.

So the house has been full of the smells of winter food all day.

Snow this morning but almost slushy gone now.

Yes to bread a butter pudding. Adding marmalade is a game changer.

The second sentence in the OP might be a clue

"This was what we always had as kids when it snowed or got really wintery"

So nostalgic, comforting, warming

@MidnightPatrol my mum used to make the best mince, onions and carrots. Looking back it was probably insane amount of oxo cubes....

we would have it with mash (dumplings was only for stew)...or sometimes, if she was in a good mood, in a pie. With potatoes with butter.

There's no way anyone I know would eat that now. Which is a shame, as it was great.

@rosemarycait96"We're in the South West by the Bristol channel so the chances of seeing snow here are almost non existent - jealous of anyone who gets a sprinkle because we barely even get frost!"

Famous last words rosemary. I'm in Bristol and drove to work through the white stuff this morning. Bloody cold too!

Oh I didn't realise Bristol got some, very cool. We're near WSM, have had sleety rain all day but nothing laying because the ground is still wet from yesterday. Shame! And yes, it's absolutely bitter!

Yes, it was coming down quite heavily at one point but didn't settle. It's literally just stopped. Can't say I'm sorry!

@GiddyRobin I have a horrible thought that tinned sweet corn and frozen peas may also have been added to the tuna mornay abomination. It also looked like it had been “recycled”. (Luckily we had two very greedy labradors who knew to clean up behind mum’s potted palm trees.)

Shepherd’s pie or tartiflette, definitely.

And mulled wine.

Tartiflette is a meal I love in the cold snowy weather.

Swede and potato mash, with peas, sausages and onion gravy

Sausage casserole

Beef stew

All wrapped up, throw, candles lit, lamps on and a good book or film

My DBIL likes ketchup and gravy! I've not tried it but it's on the table all winter, he loves it! Also yes to Carnation evap! I always loved it with stewed apples or pears. So nostalgic.

I still have to watch a Hugh Grant film every winter. I think it's since Bridget Jones as a kid, he reminds me of winter time now. That's such a lovely tradition!

@ManchesterLu I really do not use mine enough at all, I'm hoping to change it this winter and get some use from it! The smell of something all made when you get back home is so comforting, so little effort but there's a whole meal. I'm tempted to make a sausage stew over the weekend and see how it turns out!

@frozendaisy That sounds gorgeous! What soya mince do you use? I remember one year using a Bean Feast style one and while it was different, it actually turned out okay. I think I put tomatoes in. 😂 I made cheese toasties for lunch with onion and tomato. Cannot wait to try this lentil soup later, every time I walk past the kitchen I'm itching to start. I might be extra and put on choral music. Not quite Christmas music, but edging closer!

@Lifeglowup Oooh! Orange or lime marmalade? I can see that working. It'd cut right through the richness!

@Fraaahnces Oh dear, I can envision it so clearly now! It's the look of these things as much as the taste and smell sometimes. I could never find a love of potato and leek soup until I was older. My dad (and I don't know why, because he used real potatoes for everything else) would use the tinned ones. They'd either break into shards or remain whole and glossy. Eurgh. Our dogs were also very well fed. 😂

@StormingNorman Tartiflette! Mmm, now that's nice. I've made it with the veggie bacon or ham and while it probably doesn't taste quite the same, it's such a treat. Creamy potatoes will always win the day. As will mulled wine. Love it with a tiny whifter of brandy in there too.

@mrspresents Swede/turnip is the ultimate winter taste here. We'd carve them for lanterns on Halloween and then eat them for days after, but I never got bored. As soon as the weather gets cold I absolutely crave them mashed with carrot. Dripping in butter and with loads of onion gravy!

Candles are all lit here, it's bright on the ground but feels dark so they're twinkling away and I've got out my huge fluffy slippers and fake Oodie thing. Third hot chocolate of the day is about to go on! 😁

Exactly. Warm and cosy and has all of the good memories. Plus you can even just shove it in a mug and sip it which means you get warm hands too. 😁

I like this recipe @GiddyRobin but I leave out the pearl barley as I hate it. The dumplings just use butter 🧈❤️

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegetable-stew-herby-dumplings

Thank you! That looks so simple! And if there's cheese I'm even happier, it's an elevation of everything at any time as far as I'm concerned. 😁 Even before I was coeliac I didn't like pearl barley, I remember my Irish nan adding it to stews and just couldn't get my tastebuds around the flavour or texture.

Mincemeat pie, meat and potatoe pie, Hollands steak puds all with mushy peas and gravy

Bloody love mushy peas, the dried ones in the box are my favourite. My childhood favourite was a mushy pea butty. White bread, thickly buttered, and a load of mushy peas. Lovely hot or cold. We don't do a Christmas dinner these days, we just do a buffet, but I still make mushy peas (family tradition) so I can make one of these. 😂

I had sausage and onion "pie" tonight (mash topped) which was perfect for the weather

Oh that sounds lovely, mash top pies are the best. I do like pastry ones but mash and gravy. You can't go wrong.

I made the soup! It was bloody gorgeous, everyone ate it and went back for more too! I'll have to make sure I make extra next time because there's none left and that was my lunch! 😂